Is Colloidal Silver safe for Cats?

A number of holistic products exist that can be very beneficial to a cat’s health. Recently I’ve been hearing a lot of people mentioning colloidal silver. It made me wonder, is colloidal silver safe for cats? I did some digging and found some interesting results.

What is Colloidal Silver?

Colloidal silver is a solution made of silver particles suspended in water. It has been used as an antiseptic and antibiotic since the ancient times. Colloidal silver is known for its ability to fight off bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. It works by attaching itself to the offending pathogens and interfering with the way they metabolize oxygen. The healthy flora and fauna of the intestinal system are anaerobic (they don’t need oxygen to survive) so they are not affected in the same way.

Colloidal silver lost popularity with people and pets when conventional antibiotics started showing up on the scene in the 1930’s. With people becoming more concerned about their health and their pets’ health, holistic solutions like colloidal silver are coming back into popularity. Dr. Oz even spoke about how he and his family use it on his show.

At it turns out, colloidal silver can be used in cats in a very similar way to the way it is used in humans. Holistic veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker has suggested using colloidal silver on your cat to treat several different feline health problems including:

Controversy: Is Colloidal Silver Safe?

If you have done an internet search for “is colloidal silver safe”, you probably noticed that there is a large amount of controversy surrounding it in the medical world. One of the biggest critics of colloidal silver is the FDA. Since 1998 the FDA has banned colloidal silver from use in both prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Why did the FDA ban it? They claim that there is no scientific evidence proving that it can do any of the things that manufacturers of the product claim it can. Critics also note that the silver particles can build up in the skin, brain, kidneys, spleen, liver, and brain. It can also lead to argyria, a very rare condition in which the skin permanently turns blue.

So is colloidal silver safe for cats?

When purchasing colloidal silver, you need to do your research. There are 3 different types of products that all tend to be labeled “colloidal silver,” but don’t necessarily have the same safety or benefits; ionic silver, silver protein mixtures, and true colloidal silver. There are differences in the ways each of these are made and in the balance between silver particles and silver ions.

Ionic Silver

Ionic silver is the most common product to be called “colloidal silver.”This has a larger amount of silver ions and a smaller amount of silver particles. The lower amount of silver particles makes this a very inexpensive type of “colloidal silver” to manufacture. All of the “colloidal silver” generators that can be purchased for home use actually create ionic silver.

You will know when you are using ionic silver because it is clear in color (like water). It must be stored in a dark-colored glass container. Light will degrade its quality and it will gradually erode plastic.

In this case is “colloidal silver” safe for cats? Yes, if used topically and the manufacturer’s dosage guidelines are followed. Can this turn your cat’s skin blue? Yes, but it takes chronic overuse of the product (very large doses). It can take years to begin to develop argyria.

Important note: Since the density of the silver particles varies from product to product, it is impossible to give accurate general dosing advice. Discuss the correct dosage for your cat with your holistic veterinarian.

Silver Protein Mixtures

Silver protein mixtures are the next most common product that gets labeled “colloidal silver.” Of the 3 types, these are the ones you should avoid. They are made of large metallic silver molecules and a binding protein. Those metallic silver molecules are so large that they don’t stay suspended in the water, they settle at the bottom. The protein that is used keeps them suspended in the water.

You will know that a “colloidal silver” is actually a silver protein mixture if it is amber to almost black in color. Silver protein mixtures will foam when you shake them. This foam will last a few minutes.

In this case, is “colloidal silver” safe for cats? Not so much. Silver protein mixtures are the most likely to cause blue skin and they are the least effective.

True Colloidal Silver

Believe it or not, true colloidal silver is the least common of the three products typically labeled “colloidal silver.” It is a very complex process to create it (thus there are no home generators for it). It has a very high concentration of silver particles (50-80%) and a lower concentration of silver ions.

You will know a true colloidal silver because it will be dark in color, but it will not foam when shaken. Also, it can be stored in clear and/or plastic containers. It is not sensitive to light and won’t damage the plastic.

In this case, is colloidal silver safe for cats? Absolutely. This is the most effective form of colloidal silver. It can be taken internally because it won’t react with the Hydrochloric Acid in the cat’s stomach. Due to the low number of silver ions, it is highly unlikely that this would ever turn your kitty’s skin blue.

Do you or someone you know ever use colloidal silver with their cat?

The following are affiliate links from Amazon.com. Playful Kitty is a part of the Amazon Affiliate Program and we make a small commission on qualifying purchases. You can find our disclosures here.

Robin, this is a very thorough introduction to colloidal silver. I know people who have used it for cats and dogs as well as themselves for years. It began re-emerging as a naturopathic tool in the 90s from what I can remember, though some people never stopped using it as an antibiotic treatment. A friend has a cat who contracted a herpes virus at birth from her mother, and she’s treated that cat for 18 years with colloidal silver as well as lysine and a few other treatments, and it is effective.

I’ve using Sovereign Silver’s brand for years on my family and my pets. In fact, I’m using it on my male cat who got scratched by my female cat and got a little abscess from it. I put it directly on the wound and in his mouth 3X daily. It tastes like water (no taste) and doesn’t burn either. I’ve used it for pink eye, sore throats, sinus infections, flues, etc on my family with great results. (I am in no way a professional health care pro, but I used to be a vet tech for 26 years and also worked at a health food store with great training courses in supplements.)

Very interesting! My mom is somewhat of a homeopathic/holistic nut, so she has mentioned colloidal silver to me on several occasions. I’ve never thought about using it for the cats though. Good to know it is safe, as long as you get the right form!

Very interesting and excellent post. I never thought of using it on my cats. My husband scared me for human use by telling me our bodies can’t get rid of it and it builds up. I need to have him read this.

I just purchased some colloidal to try some things with Shiner a few weeks ago. My current vet, who was also one I used to work closely with, was the one who introduced me to it years ago. I’ve heard some really great things about it. I can’t remember ever using it on cats, and thankfully I can’t think of a need to use it on Callie right now. We did have a puppy come in with parvo once, however. Her owners could not afford any treatment… my vet didn’t want to send them away empty handed and told them some things they could try at home. Colloidal silver was one of them. It’s a miracle but the puppy survived without any hospital treatment. Anyways, great info here… I’ll have to check and see which kind mine is.

Thank you so much! I didn’t know about silver being used as an antiseptic in ancient times until I started doing research for this post. When I was preparing for a different post, someone at a local pet supply store had mentioned using Colloidal Silver with their cats. I had to know what that was all about. As I started digging deeper, I knew I had to write about it. Thank you so much for coming by and leaving a comment! I hope to hear from you again sometime. 🙂

I would like to try silver with my cat. Wondering about dose and could I put it in water bowl. My vet is not one open to this kind of thing. 10 years old and always stuffing nose and discharge from nose.

Silver could work pretty well for that condition. Putting a little in the water dish could work. Let me give you a great contact to talk to about colloidal silver and other holistic remedies. The Pet Beastro is a holistic pet supply store in my area and the owners went to college for holistic. The do over the phone and online consultations (as well as simply answering questions) all the time. Their website is http://www.ThePetBeastro.com and the phone number is 248-548-3448. The owner’s name is Jill and another good person to talk to is Erica. They are really nice and helpful!

Regular water will break own the silver and render it useless. Only distilled water…but you can’t use distilled water as a drinking water. My cats don’t mind it at all. I use it myself and the taste is close to none.

Absolutely safe for pets, EXCEPT FISH!! Been giving to my indoor cats for years, (both Came from the animal shelter), and the youngest one was very sick when we got her and that’s the reason I did the silver, she is COMPLETELY 100% HEALTHY NOW, and the great part absolutely no side effects, and when I forget to add “a little” couple table spoons to their water bowl they sure let me know that I forgot cause they don’t want the water without it. A Cats instinct tells me it’s completely safe, due to the fact cats will not eat something that will harm them or that is bad.

TW was innerested in this article cos she’s had some in the condo that she bought a while ago for herself. She never felt safe using it though after she read it could turn your skin blue. I’ll bet she wouldn’t use it on me neither.

My cat got in a fight with a tom cat and the bites became abscesses I put CS directly on the wounds and they healed up in less than 3 days,it was safe for her to lick it off,I have also been putting in her wet food twice a day for any internal infection. Also Diatomaceous earth with CS in food got ride of the tape worms in my older cat.

I have used some Colloidal Silver made by a friend for my gums but do not have any at this time. I would like to know which brand you would recommend for my cat or myself! I want to take a small dose before surgery this November. Thanks!

Meet the Silver That DESTROYS 650 Different Pathogens and HEALS Inflammation in 72 Hours : The Hearty Soul - […] can also be treated with colloidal silver. Holistic veterinarian Karen Becker recommends using it to treat feline problems like…

Follow Playful Kitty on Twitter

Follow Us on Instagram!

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here:
Privacy Policy

Follow Us on Pinterest!

Affiliate Disclosure

PlayfulKitty.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Amazon, a third party affiliate marketing network, uses cookies to help make sure I get a commission when you buy a product after clicking on a link or ad banner that takes you to the site of one of their merchants. You can read Amazon’s Privacy Policy.